Gmina Wadowice

Gmina Wadowice is an urban-rural gmina (administrative district) in Wadowice County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the town of Wadowice, which lies approximately 38 kilometres (24 mi) south-west of the regional capital Kraków.

The gmina covers an area of 113 square kilometres (43.6 sq mi), and as of 2006 its total population is 37,481 (of which the population of Wadowice is 19,149, and the population of the rural part of the gmina is 18,332).

Villages

Apart from the town of Wadowice, Gmina Wadowice contains the villages and settlements of Babica, Barwałd Dolny, Chocznia, Gorzeń Dolny, Gorzeń Górny, Jaroszowice, Kaczyna, Klecza Dolna, Klecza Górna, Ponikiew, Ponikiew-Chobot, Roków, Stanisław Górny, Wysoka and Zawadka.

Neighbouring gminas

Gmina Wadowice is bordered by the gminas of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Mucharz, Stryszów, Tomice, Wieprz and Zembrzyce.

References

Wadowice

Wadowice [vadɔˈvit͡sɛ] (German: Frauenstadt – Wadowitz) is a city in southern Poland, 50 kilometres (31 miles) from Kraków with 19,200 inhabitants (2006), situated on the Skawa river, confluence of Vistula, in the eastern part of Silesian Foothills (Pogórze Śląskie). Wadowice is best known for being the birthplace of Pope John Paul II.

History

The first permanent settlement in the area of today's Wadowice was founded in the late 10th century or early 11th century. According to a local legend, the town was founded by certain Wad or Wład, a short form for the Slavic name of Ladislaus (Polish: Władysław). The town was first mentioned as Wadowicze in St. Peter penny register in the years 1325–1327. In 1327 it is also mentioned (under the same name) in a fief registry sent from prince John I Scholastyk of Oświęcim to Bohemian king John I, Count of Luxemburg. At this time it was a trading settlement belonging to the Dukes of Silesia of the Piast Dynasty, and according to some historians it was already a municipality. In 1430 a great fire destroyed the town. It was soon rebuilt and granted city rights, along with a city charter and a self-government, based on the then-popular Kulm law. The privileges, granted by Prince Kazimierz I of Oświęcim led to a period of fast reconstruction and growth.